Gift Guide: For Cider Lovers

Whether your loved ones are gluten free gourmands or adventurous homebrewers, cider just might be on their holiday wish lists. We're here to help with gift ideas: books, bottles, gear, and even a weekend getaway that your favorite cider lover is sure to enjoy.

Cider They Can't Get at Home

If your local selection is limited, consider ordering a few ciders from another part of the country. For East coast ciders, we recommend the selection at New York's Astor Wines, while Made in Oregon is perfect for crafting a West coast gift basket. Shipping is not available to every state, so double check before you buy.

Artisanal Cheese Hard Cider Collection

Cider and cheese are happy together and this collection from Artisanal Premium Cheese will have the cider-lover on your list chomping away this holiday season. This collection includes three cheeses selected (in collaboration with Angry Orchard Cider) to pair well: Garrotxa, Ossau Iraty, and Colston Bassett Stilton. Of course, you could also build your own cider-pairing gift basket at a cheesemonger near you.

World's Best Ciders: Taste, Tradition, and Terroir

Cider is a cultural phenomenon around the world and this book is your hand-held tour. Acclaimed beer writer Pete Brown and British cider documentarian Bill Bradshaw travel to the apple-growing regions in Spain, France, England, Germany, Canada, and America to explore the people and places who hold cider in high esteem.

Hudson Valley Cidermaking Kit

This cider making kit contains everything to make a batch of cider at home. Just add a gallon of juice (not included) to the glass fermentation jug, stir in the yeast, and in about a month you'll have a batch of homemade cider. Be sure to avoid juice that has been treated with potassium sorbate or a similar preservative. These chemicals inhibit yeast growth, which will impede the conversion of sugars into alcohol.

Maximizer Fruit Press

You can make cider with store-bought juice, but in truth, cider is all about the apples. This fruit press is just the thing for home cider makers looking to up their game. It's also a great way for home orchardists—or anyone with access to a few apple trees—to turn their fruitful harvest into gallons of fresh-pressed juice.

A combination apple grinder and traditional basket press, The Maximizer Fruit Press is the most convenient all-in-one home press we've tried.

The New Cider Maker's Handbook

Claude Jolicoeur is considered one of North America's finest home cider makers. In The New Cider Maker's Handbook, Jolicoeur applies his previous life as a scientist to the craft of cider with over 300 pages of traditional techniques and modern practices. The formulas, charts, and experiments in this tome put even the geekiest homebrew book to shame—it's the perfect gift for anyone looking to get serious about home cider making or considering what it would take to go pro.

A Weekend Getaway at Albemarle Ciderworks

For cider fans who love to travel, consider a weekend getaway at Albemarle Ciderworks in North Garden, Virginia. Their cottage—available through VRBO—is located next to the tasting room, steps from the orchards and a short drive from the many wineries, breweries and cideries near Charlottesville. It sleeps up to 8 people. Ask nicely, and they might even let you tour the cidery.